Law could simplify voter registration

The Queens Chronicle wrote an article about the Voter Empowerment Act of New York bill, which Senator Gianaris introduced along with Assemblyman Brian Kavanagh and the Brennan Center for Justice. Senator Gianaris believes this proposal could save the state and its counties hundreds of thousands of dollars per election.

State Sen. Mike Gianaris (D-Astoria), Assemblyman Brian Kavanagh (D-Manhattan) and the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law introduced the Voter Empowerment Act of New York bill on June 7.

The bill will automatically register eligible consenting citizens at designated government agencies; permit pre-registration of 16- and 17-year-olds; automatically transfer registrations of New Yorkers who move within the state; provide access to voter registration records and registration of eligible citizens online and allow people to register or change their party later in the election cycle.

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Computerizing the system could take a burden off election offices, Gianaris said, and thus the proposal could save “the state and its counties hundreds of thousands of dollars per election.”

The current system is error-prone, according to Wendy Weiser, director of the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice.

The legislation could reduce the number of duplicate or outdated registration records and ensure that fewer eligible voters are left off the voter rolls, according to Gianaris.